Rail & Trail "Friesach - old castle town & lively castle building" (city walk)

Friesach - The essence of the town
Between the steep forest mountains of the Metnitz Valley lies Friesach - the oldest town in Carinthia and a medieval castle town jewel! As early as 860, a "farm in Friesach" was given as a gift to the Archbishop of Salzburg. A flourishing settlement grew up around it, which was granted market rights in 1159. Thanks to its location on an important trade route between the Danube region and the Adriatic, Friesach quickly grew into an important trading center. As early as 1215, it was the first market in Carinthia to be elevated to town status. In its heyday, Friesach was the beating heart of Carinthia - both economically and religiously. The town rose to become a magnificent castle town: fortifications, castles, residences, churches and monasteries still bear witness to its former greatness today. The Friesach pfennig - one of the most important means of payment in medieval Central Europe - also illustrates the town's charisma. From the end of the 13th century, Friesach was conquered, plundered and set on fire several times. The town lost its influence.

Today, the medieval castle town flair and an extraordinary highlight: a new castle with medieval methods has been under construction here since 2009. In Friesach, you can marvel at and experience the Middle Ages - a unique experience worldwide!

Friesach - discover on foot
From Friesach train station, we walk through a sparsely populated area to the start of the medieval highlight series: the town wall with its rare moat. "Impressive" - that must have been how travelers of yesteryear felt. We stroll along the tranquil moat, then the mighty Dominican church with the longest nave in Carinthia (74 m) rises up in front of us. It belongs to the Dominican monastery, which was rebuilt outside the city walls due to a lack of space. Surprising: the church tower is missing? Not at all - as a mendicant order, the Dominicans deliberately do without this symbol of power. We enter the medieval heart of the town via the moat. A short loop leads us to the inconspicuous Fürstenhof (now the town hall), the former "Hof in Friesach" and the nucleus of the town. Then the imposing parish church of St. Bartholomew rises up with its two mighty towers - a symbol of ecclesiastical splendor and magnificence.

From now on, the focus is on walking. We wind our way along the old footpath up the Petersberg ridge to the church of St. Peter - with a magnificent panoramic view over Friesach! Perfect for lingering. Just behind it rises the mighty Petersberg castle, once the magnificent residence of the Salzburg archbishops. The 28 m high keep houses the town museum, which is well worth a visit. On the descent, we pass Lavant Castle, the residence of the bishops of Lavant. "Church power and its symbolism" comes to mind. From the saddle, a wonderful high-level trail leads us up through the mixed mountain forest of the steep valley flank and back down into the valley.

On the detour to the small Virgilienberg, the mystical church ruins with the free-standing remains of huge tracery windows are a delight - a rare sight in Austria!

On the valley floor, we take a leisurely stroll to the "Castle Building Experience" area. Since 2009, a new hilltop castle has been built here using medieval methods as part of experimental archaeology - the estimated construction time is 40 years. Be sure to plan time to visit. Tip: A guided tour offers particularly deep insights.

At the bottom of the valley, we finally walk back into the heart of the old town to the final highlight: the pretty main square with its ornate Renaissance fountain! The train station is then not far away.

The density of medieval highlights in Friesach is unbelievable. Let yourself drift and enjoy the unique flair. Have fun!